Ice-making machine.



Ti H. RAY.

ICE MAKNG MAGHINE, l APPLIGATION FILED JULY 1s, 1908.

atented. June 1, i909.

3 SHBETS-SHEET 1.

LU al. o?,

WW-f2 MY ne; MM.

l. E. RAY.

ICE MAKING MACHINE.

- .APPLIOATION FILED JULY 1e, 190s.

Jatented June 1,1909.

Patented June 1, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

THOMAS H. RAY, OF SOMERVILIQE, 7MASSACHUSEITTS, ASSIGNOR TOHILL-RAY'ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OlMASSAQHUSETTS.

IGE-MAKING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .Tune 1, 1909.

Application lved July 16, 1908. Serial No. 443,792.

To all :whom it muy concern:

Be=1t known that THoams H. RAY, a

citizen of the United States, residing atJ Somervillein the county ofMiddlesex and 5 State of Massachusetts, have invented cerv',tain new andEal. improvements in Ice- Making Machines, of which. the following iszaspecification, reference being had there? iu to the accompanyingdrawing. .10 My'i'nvention relates to ice making machines. 4itsprincipal objects are first, to provide means whereby there may beformed, at a. speed muchgreater than that attained heretofore, a blockof artificialice having a predetermined.depth, or thick- Y ness.Second', to .provide means whereby such a block may be formed having a'deaired width. Third, to provide means whereby said block may bequickly and 'easily harvested. Fourth, to provide means whereby theremay be formed a block of clear articial ice, having the desired thickness, width and length. The'lirst object is attained by means of th-'osubstantially vertical freezing plates,

immersed in water, and'arranged at such a distance apartthat withinatletinite period of time, a single block may be formed out of twoblocks which are formed on said two .30 plates, approach and touch eachother and freeze together. Y'

The second obj ect is accomplished by providing four heat insulatedsurfaces, two for each of said freezing plates, and so arranging saidinsulated surfaces and said freezing plates. that said heat insulatedsurfaces compel the block formed upon eac-h freezing plate, 'to conformto said surfaces, and also determine the width of said two blocks whichultimately imite and bec-ome a. single block having the desired widthand thickness.

The third object-a quick and easy harvesting of a block of ice obtainedbythe above 'mentioned means-is brought about by so forming said heatinsulated surfaces that by the application of heat to said sur-- faces,they become disengaged from the ice,

and may then be removed, so that the result- -ing single block of iceformed by the two freezing plates may be`- floated, and the harvestingcompleted.

l The fourth object, namely, a clear block office formed as. above, isattainedbyso arrangingyfvthe tw freezing plates and their heatlinsulated surfaces that there is formed between one freezingvplate withits two heat insulated surfaces, and the other freezing plate with itstwo heat insulated surfaces, a water channel; and by also providingmeans located outside of said channel, to' agitate 'the water to 'befrozen, in said channel.

Figure l is a perspectivevview of two series of freezing apparatusembodying my invention, which may be employed for making and harvesting`separate blocks of ice having a predetermined length, breadth andthickness. Fig. 2 is a like View of details showing the means toremovably secure a V heat insulated surface in proper relation to ametal freezing surface. Fig. 3 is a plan view of four series of freezingapparatus, and shows four stages in the formation of blocks of clear icehaving the desired shape and size. Fig. 4tv isi a transverse elevationshowing the piping, heat insulated surfaces, freezing coils, and theback freezing plate of eacli of four freezing coils; the first freezingplate of each coil having been removed to show the relative positions ofthe above parts. Fig. o `is a longitudinal vertical section on line 4.4in Fig. il F ig. 6. is a plan showing hot gas piping extending undereach series of freezing coils or unit-s, for releasing thev ice blocksfrom the tioor ing of the watertank. y

To form a clear block of ice having the desired shape and size, I makeuse of two4 freezing coil units l, l', identical in con- 90 structionand operation. Coil unit l has a` Y Hat freezing coil 2 which isvertically mounted between two thin metal freezing plates 3, et,stiparated and insulated from each other as by strips of wood, 6, 7, 8,Fig. It, to whichthe plates are secured by rivets 9,

Fig. l; the coils in turn being` secured between the plates by pins l()passing through the plates and 'under tlie turnsof the freez- "ing coil.The woodenlinsulating strips 5,

G, Figs. l and 4, at the top and bottom are flush with the top andbottom-edges of the plates, et, 'while the wooden strips 7, 8, Figs. l,2, 4, 'at the sidesextcnd beyond the side edges of the plates, asclearly appears in detail in Fie'. 2.

Viiveted between the upper adjacent 'corners of thevtwo freezing plates4, 5, Figs. 2, 4,are two cast iron slotted supporting faeces' 1.1extending above the top of the 110 shown in thel drawings.

shown in Figs. 3, 4,

plates, and designed to be engaged by a shaped locking member 12 formingthe top portion of heat insulated device to be described later.

Vhat we have described, namely, a freezing coil, its two adjacentplates, wooden in sulating frame, and slotted supporting pieces,comprise the freezing coil unit 1. It is two such units 1, 1', which Iemploy in making a block of ice. To manufacture and make blocks of icein quantities, I arrange these units in one or more series, as A tank 14for the water to be frozen, is provided. Upon the floor 15 of the tankunder the location of each-'series of units, is a hot gas coil 16 5, 6,while covering the hotgas coil and the rest of the .bottom of the tankis a 4thin Wooden flooring 17 upon which the units as 1, 1, Fig. 5 arearranged at suitable distances apart, and secured to the ioor bybolts-18 through holes inthe flanged bottoms'of the freezing plates 3,4. The ends of each freezing coil pass down through the iioor of thetank and suitable stuting boxes 19, Figs. 4 and 5, and are connected toa supply pipe 20 and a return pipe 21, for a refrigerating agent asammonia' or brine.

the persons operating the ice making plant, two lines of wooden girders23, slotted, as at 24, Fig. 1, rest upon and engage the tops of theseries units. These units having b ecome rigidly supported, suitableheat insuT lated surfaces 13 are next provided, and removably mounted inproper relation to each freezing coil. This heat insulatedy surface may,for example, be similar to that'of a cross cut device which is describedand claimed in United States Letters Patent for ice making apparatus,No. 87 6,015, and issued to me, January 7, 1908. It consists of a can 25which is made of thin metallic material, as iron, is rectangular incross section, and has its side surfaces slightly converging froin thetop to the bottom. A partition 26, Fig. 1, to form two vertical cham-Ibers in the can extends down between the inside surfaces of the cannearly to the bottom, so that the chambers are t here1con l ,nected Thelock member 12, of castfiron,

lits into the top opening of the can wlieic it is fixed by rivets 27.Two holes 28,29, lead through this member into the chambers of the can,vone for each, for the introduction and the withdrawal of a heatradiating' liquid, as hot water. Projecting from the middle portion ofthis member is a T shaped' piece 30, Fig. 2, which is designed vtoengage the slotted supporting piece 11, forming part of the abovementioned freezing coil' unit.

Two of these cross cuts are provided for each unit coil, and are so`mounted in their slotted supports, that they are at right sireddistance.

To render the units still more rigid so as to support covers 22 andpearance.

angles to the planes ofthe freezing plates, from which they extendoutward .the dell is to be noted that the lock member 12 of the'crosscut, adjacent to each coil does not contact the freezing plates 3, 4,but does touch the wooden insulating strips 7, 8, projecting beyond theoutside edgesy of the4 plates. noticed that the water outlets 31 of thetank, Fig'. 4, are below the tops of the freezing plates and the woodenside strips,so that so much of the metallic surface of the cross cut asis immersed in the water, becomes insulated from the freezing plate orplates by.

the wooden side strip, and becomes, not a freezing surface as it wouldwere it in dit is to be further4 rect contact with the freezing plate orplates,

but a surface which compels the icc formed by either freezing plates toconform to saidf4 surface.

In order that each cross cut may be held close to its wooden side strip,a groove'32 is made in the floor of the tank, so that by pushing thecross cut down along the side strip, its bottom engagesthe groove, andits lock member 12 becomes locked to the slotted sustaining member 11.To remove each cross cut, a pin 33 projects from the outer face of thelock member, so that it can be caught as by a hand hook, and the crosscut lifted up and away from the freezing plates.

Outside of each series of units, l), Figs. 3, 4, and upon the fioorofthe water tank is any agitating pipe 34, having openings through whichair maybe forced to kcepthe water'in motion to insure the production ofice clear and transparent inap- By such an arrangement of the agitating.means, they are outside the sphere of yaction of the freezing plates,they never become frozen, and they may be controlled not only during butafter the freezing isl 'is' filled with water,vwhich becomes agitatedbyair allowed to escape from the air pipes 34 ingthe aisles E, F, Gr, H,l, formed in the A, B, o,

tank by the four series of ice forming units,

A, B, C, D. The liquid ammonia in the liep.-

uid supply pipe 20, 'is allowed to pass through expansionY valves 35,through eachA freezing coil 2, valve 46 and enter the'return gas pipe21. ln so doing the freezing plates 3, 4, of'each unit become cold,andice begins to form on each plate of each coil, as is indivcated by dots36, in series A, F ig. 3. As v time goes on, the ice formed on eachplate builds out and conics into contact with the two end cross cut cans25, as indicated by dots 37'-, series B', Fig. 3. But as each blockgrows larger and approaches its neighbor, acrossl the water channelbetween the adjaeesfjaes cent freezing'nnits, thegcross eut begin smtovlimit the: formation vof ice along theplane ,I its freezing plate, andthe ice freezes against, .y

the-metallic insulated surface v ofI eacl'r. empty.; cross cut,` asshown by dots-38, series C, Fig. C, g the adjacent blocks continue tobuild out, touch each other, and begin lto freeze together-` Thecombined single block keeps on freezing in the direction of its width.If the water agitation is so vigorous that the block does not build out,and remains imperfect asappears in series (l, then the agitation must bereduced. By proper regulaL tion of the agitation of the Water, the blockwill build out so that it will have a substantiallynniform width as isshown by dots in series D, F ig. 3; and when it has such Width, theagitation is stopped, and all of the coinpletely formed blocks are readyfor harvesting.

In' harvestingthe ice there is employed a hot gas feed pipe 40 leading,say, from the compression side of an ammonia compression machine, notlshown. A branch pipe L11, as for series of freezing coils D, in turn,leads from said hot gas pipe 40, into hot gas coil 16, and has a valve42. Also leading from this branch hot gas pipe 4:1 is another branchpipe having a valve 411-3 and connected to the cold liquid pipesupplying cold liquid from the main supply pipe 21 to each freezing coil2. A branch pipe 41 having a valve et() connects the other end of thehot gas coil 1 6 to the main return pipe 21; there being a valve 46 inthe pipeA connectingA the freezinlg coil 2 to the main return pipe l,

To harvest the ice the expansion valves ofl the coils, as in series D,are closed, and the ammoiiia. in the freezing coils is re covered'in thewell known way through the return pipe 21 which is connected to the suc-.tion side, say, of. a compression machine not shown. Nexthot gas ispumped from the compression side of the ammonia compressor through thehot. gas pipe 40, by the valve 42, and valves 43 respectivelyfinto t-hecoil 16l and t-he empty freezing coilsQ.; the l valvesel, 46, in thereturn branch pipes, being opened a crack to permit the coils: 716 and'2 to be illed with the desired quantity of 'hot gas. These valves arethen closed and the hotgas is allowed to stand in the coils for thepurpose of giving out heat. Hot water is next introduced through onehole 2S in each cross cut. By these operations,

the thin films of .ice attaching ea ch eofiplete block to the apparatus,are melted.` The cross cuts being freed from their respective blocks,they may be removed, asi-,iiitli hand hooks by lifting them out of-theirgrooves :32 in the iioor and their slotted supporting pieces 11, and theblocks ofice become freed in the direction of their width. As tle twofreezing plates 4, 3, for-mingthe completed block fiiar'e slight-lyoutward from the bottom for remt and torage'v ytoward...the`top,see'Fig. 5, the disengaged f .blockl torisdand does so, thereby atei,and becoming readythat yis" true of he complete block, is true of allofthe blocks formed in the series of freezing coil units.

-t will now be plain how a block of ice Araving a predetermined depthcan be produced at greatly increased speed; how it can also have apredetermined width; how it can be harvested; and how it can be madeclear in` appearance. It will also be clear` that, for economy inconstruction where there is to be aI series of units to form two or morecomplete blocks, each unit has two freezing plates. which, however, donot form the two cakes that freeze together into one large block. Anyice formed on the outside plateof an end unit coil of a series, will notbe of the shape and 'size desired for marketing. But such pieces areuseful if allowed to remain in the tank, for they melt and tend to keepthe water nearer a freezing tennierature. The same may be said of theother small bits of ice, should any be formed outside of the cross cuts.

it is to be noted that 'the hot gas tends to condense in the freezingcoils` and if, after the ice is removed, theV freezing plates'are againto do refrigeration, the freezing coils will begin refrigeration uponthe opening of the valves 46; the liquid ammonia inthe freezing coilsstarting at once to evaporate. ln this way, the lheat that wouldotherwise be lost by the hot gas recovered through the returnpipe. 21and passed through a condenser, is used in the freezing coils in thawingthe ice off the freezing plates, and is there condensed, ready to dorefrigeration the moment its pressure is relieved by the opening ofvalves 46 leading into the low pressure return pipe 21. Obviously the ammonia in the coil 16 will be removed by opening the valves 4:5.

'In fine, by my inventionl am enabled to quickly make, and harvest aclear block of ice having the desired shape and size.

Having described my invention,xits construction, and operation, anddesiring toprotect the same in the .broadest manner legally possible, 1

That claim is I 1. Tivo freezing plates immersed in Water, located. at.such a distance apart that a single bloc-k of icemay be formed byfreezing together two pieces of ice, one formed on each plateg'areceptacle arranged at each end of each freezing plate, 'with heatinsulation between said plates and said receptacles, said receptaclesbeing so mountedin relation to said 'plates that they determine thewidth of each piece ofice formed on each plate.

2'. Two freezing plates immersed in Wal-er located at such a distanceapart that a single each piece of ice formed on each plate; and meanslocated outside of a channel formed between said two freezingplates,whereby lthe water-in the channel may be agitated so that the resultingieemay be clear in appearance, andthe said agitating means may lnot.become frozen.

:3. Aniee forming unit consisting of two freezing plates; a freezing,coil mounted between said plates; two metal cans. mounted adjacent tothe side edge of; at right angles to, said plates, and Iextending beyondthe planes of said plates; and means to insulate said cans from saidplates.

i 4. An ice forming unit consisting of two freezing'plates; a freezingcoil mounted between said plates; heat insulating strips to separatesaid plates; the strips between the side portions of said .platesextending beyond the side edges of said plates; a hollow metal canremovably mounted at. right angles to, and extending beyond the planesof, said freezing plates; said cans being insulated from said plates bysaid insulating 5. An ice Vforming unit consisting of two Y freezingplates; 'a freezing coil mounted between saidl plates; heat insulatingstrips to separate said plates; the strips between the side. portions ofsaid plates extending beyond the side edges of said plates; twohollowvinetal cans, each removably mounted at right angles to; andextending lbeyond the planes of, said freezing plates; said cans beinginsulated from said plates by said insulating 'strips' extending beyondthe side edges of said plate, and also having apartition; each, wherebythere are formed in each can two chambers connected at` the bottom ofthe can, so` that hot water poured into one chamber will flow into theother; and means whereby the freezing plates may be heated for thepurpose of releasing the ice formed on. the plates.

In testimony whereof I aihx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER L. HILL, F. J. V. DAKIN.

